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Stories in an Island Landscape

Welcome to the Tiree place names website. I hope it will prove interesting for islanders, visitors, those of Tiree descent around the world and place name scholars. Place names are a short hand for stories about a landscape and I have included these where I have them. There are also a number of personal names and there may be some information helpful to those searching their family trees.

This site has been designed to be searched in a number of ways – by township, by language (for example Gaelic or Old Norse), by name type (for example coast or hill), by the element in a name (for example eaglais ‘a church'; cnoc ‘a hillock'; or Dòmhnall ‘Donald’) or by words in the accompanying stories. For those not familiar with modern Gaelic spelling, the beginning and ends of words often change depending on the shape of the phrase. For example Dòmhnall ‘Donald’, becomes Dhòmhnaill ‘of Donald or Donald’s’. You can get round this by searching for the central part of a word, in this case –omhna-. The search will work with or without accents – for example -ò- and -o- will produce the same results.

This collection has been assembled in humility by an immigrant, English-speaking general practitioner. It is presented in an open, democratic site based on WordPress. Comments, stories, corrections and derivations are very welcome from anyone. Please send them via the link at bottom of the page. Contributions to the site will be moderated by me.

I have been collecting Tiree place names over the last 25 years, and I can only say thank you to all those who have put up with my endless questions and those who have tramped the shoreline with me. I would particularly like to thank Professor Donald Meek, Niall Brownlie, Ailean Boyd and Iona Brown for their time and scholarship. I thank too Mark Vale, Balephuil, who has created the site. There will be mistakes, and I accept full responsibility for them. Please let me know and I will correct them.

I am ninety-one years old and have lived all my live in Manitoba, Canada. I have been to the Isle of Tiree twice, visiting uncles, brothers of my Mother and loved every minute of it. My Mother and two of her sisters came to Canada in 1910 and also have returned to visit the beautiful Island. I enjoy very much getting information about Tiree and people who live/lived there. Thank you very much. Although my relatives are now all deceased, they would have been thrilled to be able to get this information now and learn of the many changes of the Island of their birth.
Sincerely

Have just been looking at this website and found it extremely interesting. Having spent 5 years of my childhood in Moss, I found the places marked in this township of particular interest. Excellent website.

I came to this site via the articles you’ve been doing in An Tirisdeach. Any chance of posting them here?
They are wonderful: gripping and very moving, as they explore Tiree’s people’s history through Tiree’s topography. Such a brilliant idea, for making both subjects – and the language, too – come alive.
I know you and my mother have talked about the area in Caoles/Milton around Port Ban, and she’s written up her notes. Are you going to enlarge on what’s on your sketch maps – a huge labour, I can imagine.
But how we all would benefit and enjoy it!
Many thanks
Alex

This is a really remarkable piece of work, and our whole family want to congratulate Dr Holliday most warmly. It will increase all our understanding of the wonderful piece of ground and its surroundings on Tiree that we have enjoyed for so many years, as well as our appreciation of the island as a whole. Thank you.

This is a wonderful site – thank you so much. We have been visiting Tiree for a number of years and often ask the “I wonder what that means?” question about places on the island. Your work will provide hours of fascinating browsing and make next year’s visit even more interesting.

Dear Dr Holliday
I have been unable to match a name with any on the site and was wondering if you may be able to offer any suggestions.
My ancestor Lauchlan McLean younger of Grishipol (Coll) was bailee on Tiree to Duart. and subsequently the Earl of Argyle after he took possession. Following raids by the Macleans in 1675, the Privy Council issued a Writ of Fire and Sword against Lauchlan Maclaine of Brolas, his brother & others. Part of that writ states; “Lauchlan Maclaine of Brolois, and David Ramsay Commissary of the Islea, and their followers,being in Tirie Aprile last, and oppressing the tenants there,, by quartering & forning upon them, and causing bring meal and provision frae the tenants and possessors of Kendway in Tirie, and others, to Lauchlan Maclaine Baillie in Tirie, his house in Kilseile; and lastly” etc.
It is “Kilseile” that I have had trouble finding.I am positive that it would have been located in Tiree, as apart from being Bailee, Lauchlan also had the tacks of Ruaig and Vuill and the rental of the mill at Hulliboll. I have allowed for the fact that Kilseile has been misplelt, but can’t seem to find anywhere that is even close.
Thank you for reading this, any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks John.

What a wonderful source of genealogical information. Thank you so much for the time & effort it took/takes to compile this knowledge. I am enjoying & shall continue to enjoy the research on our McPhails & McKinnons of Tiree. Again, thank you & keep up the good work. Barbara

I just discovered the Isle of Tiree. I’m fairly certain my family has roots in Scotland and after discovering a place called “Baugh” on the island the intrigue has exploded! There may or may not be a connection between my name and Tiree but I’d very much like to find out!